Crystals of darkness
by Cheesy cheese lover
Summary: He can't touch them anymore, the little children. Can't listen to them scream and cry in terror during the night. The Sandman and his golden dreamsand have forever banished Pitch from their minds. Or have they...request and summary by MoonKent


**How Pitch learned he could manipulate the Dreamsand.-requested by MoonKent**

**A/N: This is set back in the olden days, maybe a bit before Jack was born or right around there.**

Pitch Black looked up at the sky a the golden sand that made its way into every child's minds, filling their sleep with pleasant dreams. From where he stood between two cottages, he could make out the source of the sand, the man in the center sending the golden tendrils all over the village and into every home, spreading his good dreams like a virus. It was disgusting! Ever since the Sandman had come into being, that little shrimp had taken over Pitch's job! The worst part was that the Sandman was doing it all wrong. Sleep was for Nightmares, how else were the children supposed to learn their place? Now, Pitch could only give his beautiful Nightmares when the children were already too afraid for dreams to take hold anyway. It was hardly a victory, and it was far from the reach and power he had possessed before, the sudden change leaving him weak and unable to be seen as he was before. He was tired of waiting for the children to be _ready _for him, and he was even more tired of not being believed in.

Pitch spat at the thought, stalking back into the shadows and emerging stealthily in the bedroom of a dreaming child. He watched the calm and content face as the Dreamsand wove into the images of a hunter out with his son, presumably the child before him, out enjoying the outdoors as they stalked their prey in happy camaraderie. Oh how Pitch longed to see the still boy toss and turn as he rode out the Nightmares, longed to smell the fear and drink its essence from the air. But, Pitch knew that once a dream was in place, he could do nothing about it. He recalled once when a child was on the verge of fear and contentment, almost recovering from his small fright for the night and practically welcoming the pleasant dreams he would have received. It was all Pitch could do to keep the Dreamsand at bay and place his own nightmare before the golden sand could reach the child. How pitiful had he become that he had to race to do his job? He was the Nightmare King, he ruled the night! He shouldn't have to race to do anything! Enraged even more with this thought, Pitch waved his hand through the sand in an angry attempt to disrupt the good dream, knowing it would do nothing but reassemble as soon as he was passed through.

Pitch turned around after this attack with a sigh, it was time to go hunting for those afraid, at least they would provide some entertainment for him. He was just about to go through the shadows again when a whimper stopped him in his tracks. He sniffed at the air, the unmistakable scent of fear catching in his nose and sending an elated spark of hope through his heart. He turned quickly to look at the boy on the small bed to make sure his suspicions were correct. There, just above the boys head was a pool of golden Dreamsand, but at its center was a spot of darkness in the form of a bear chasing after the golden figures of father and son. As he watched, the father took out his rifle and shot the bear, dispersing the black sand and returning the child to his peaceful slumber once more. Deciding to test out a theory, the Nightmare King touched the center again and watched as wolves appeared this time, sending that wonderful spike of fear through the child's heart before again the Nightmare was fought back by the golden sand.

Pitch's eyebrows rose in surprise at this new development, and slowly...a smile spread across his face. "So I can change your dreams, Sandman?" His silky voice was quiet so as not to wake the child before him. If he could make the dreams into nightmares, without rejection, then theoretically he could regain his domain and rule the night as he was born to do, feared by all those who laid eyes on him. The thought was simply too enticing to let slip by! He would learn to control this new talent, make it so that the he was so strong that his Nightmares were not rejected and they grew into the beautiful creatures he was used to seeing. Then..then he would strike; without hesitation and without mercy.

**A/N: So I hope that's what you were looking for MoonKent, because that's what I made. ^.^ I adore these backstory fics, and writing it is even better. Although, I know it can be improved, everything can! So critique? requests? anything?**

**Edit: moving to new account, link in my profile. Thank you for reading**


End file.
